Murtha: Army 'Broken, Worn Out'

http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=72653 ^ | December 1, 2005

[johnmecainrino]

Murtha: Army 'Broken, Worn Out'

LATROBE, Pa. (AP) -- Most U.S. troops will leave Iraq within a year because the Army is "broken, worn out" and "living hand to mouth," Rep. John Murtha told a civic group.

Two weeks ago, Murtha created a storm of comment when he called for U.S. troops to leave Iraq now. The Democratic congressman spoke to a group of community and business leaders in Latrobe on Wednesday, the same day President Bush said troops would be withdrawn when they've achieved victory, not under an artificial deadline set by politicians.

Murtha predicted most troops will be out of Iraq within a year.

"I predict he'll make it look like we're staying the course," Murtha said, referring to Bush. "Staying the course is not a policy."

Murtha, 73, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, expressed pessimism about Iraq's stability and said the Iraqis know who the insurgents are, but don't always share that information with U.S. troops. He said a civil war is likely because of ongoing factionalism among Sunni Arabs, and Kurds and Shiites.

He also said he was wrong to vote to support the war.

"I admit I made a mistake when I voted for war," Murtha said. "I'm looking at the future of the United States military."

Murtha, a decorated Vietnam war veteran, said the Pennsylvania National Guard is "stretched so thin" that it won't be able to send fully equipped units to Iraq next year. Murtha predicted it will cost $50 billion to upgrade military equipment nationwide, but says the federal government is already reducing future purchases to save money.

Murtha, who represents a western Pennsylvania district that includes Latrobe, was first elected to Congress in 1974.

Lt. Col. Chris Cleaver, spokesman for the Pennsylvania National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap, said "there are some deployment concerns."

Cleaver said some guard units had to leave equipment in Iraq when they returned to the United States, which could cause training problems here.

But Cleaver also said most of the 2,100 Guard troops now deployed with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team can't be sent back to Iraq for a second tour of duty anyway, because of regulations that limit redeployment.

[Redleg Duke]

That sounds like an excellent description of Muthra!

[semaj]

The army broken and worn out? I don't know about the Army, but there's this old and busted Congressman that needs to be put out to pasture.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Do you have a fax #?

YEAH, I'VE GOT THIS CLOWN'S FAX:

814-539-6229 -- District
202-225-5709 -- Washington

[swheats]

Thanks fax sent.

[tomahawk]

John Murtha is a traitor to this country.

[BlackjackPershing]

What a worn-out old p**ck.

[BlackjackPershing]

Fax sent: RESIGN TRAITOR!

[SteveMcKing]

Ask him if he meant "Marines" or just the Army... surely he can give us specific examples, right?

[Roscoe Karns]

Boy, that Dick Cheney. He sure is evil!

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Whooooooooooooooo! Whoop!Whoooo!

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Ok, ok. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Our first guest is Congressman John
Murtha, a fierce hawk and recent critic of the Iraq War.

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Whooooooooooooooo!

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Welcome, Congressman! Now, the press has been hammering this point pretty
hard all week. It's true, isn't it, I mean regarding Iraq, that you've always been a
big hawk?

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That's correct, Bill.

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So why the sudden turnabout. Why now?

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Bill, our Army is broken! Worn out! Troops are living hand to mouth and moral is
low! Lower than I've ever seen it! I want everyone in the entire world to
understand what I am about to say: We can not win in Iraq! WE CAN NOT
WIN IN IRAQ!!

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Whooooooooooooooo! Whoop!Whoop! Whooooo!!

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EFFING A!!!

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Whoooooooooooooooooo!!

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Christopher Hitchens, you have a point to make...

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Yes, thank you, Bill. I would like to point out to the congressman that.....

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Now just a darn minute there, young fella. The tombstones at Arlington National
Cemetery don't say Democrat or Republican. They say American!

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Whooooooooooooooo! Whoop!

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That is a complete non sequitur.

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Fascist! Fascist! Fascist!

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Carrot Top, you have anything to add? No? Well, good night, folks.

[SergeantsLady]

Most U.S. troops will leave Iraq within a year because the Army is "broken, worn out" and "living hand to mouth," Rep. John Murtha told a civic group. This comment was so off base that I'm certain Murtha is confusing our finely honed fighting human machines with his lastest visit to his family doctor. My husband and his buddies, out doing their standard PT are smokin'down the track tonight to keep their run times up...and so they are. This would be soldiers from one of those old run down units who spent 14 months in Iraq and came back bruised & battered by the effort. Guess the Platoon didn't get the memo about failure.

Murtha, a decorated Vietnam war veteran, said the Pennsylvania National Guard is "stretched so thin" that it won't be able to send fully equipped units to Iraq next year. Murtha predicted it will cost $50 billion to upgrade military equipment nationwide, but says the federal government is already reducing future purchases to save money.

Someone please explain to Mr Murtha that it is more cost effective to send extraordinary equipment one way...I mean, the tents will probably be available for re-use, the lighter humvees will all require major refurbishment. So, some equipment stays behind, it's send to a yard, the yard evaluates it (as usable or not) and if not then it's disposed of, if usable then the item goes back for upgrades and maintenance. Units deploy with all their equipment but most of the equipment will remain in Iraq (not unlike from the Gulf War I) most cost effective not to keep sending 5ton trucks back & forth a lot. Wasteful. When a Unit returns back to the states and assessment is done and all sorts of papers are filled out and behold just about the time that the unit becomes eligible to go back out to the field...the right new equipment appears. The Army is on this and it's a continual "chow line" only think of it as a Buffet of heavy equipment items...

Of course Murtha as a former Marine should be aware of all this multitasking and efficient resourcing both of men & materials. But then again, Murtha's more of a Congressman than Marine and we all know how Congressman feel about budgets...there's never enough money spent and the "other guy" got more money than me... Poor, poor me....

Please, someone buy Murtha a nice recliner and ask him to step away from the microphones. I appreciate his help as it emphasises the tremendous tolerance of President Bush, but as a kindness for his former military service... Please, Congressman Murtha, just sit down, relax and let Ollie North do the talking for the Marines!

[wigswest]

aaaaaarrrrrrgggghhhh.....

I thought the Murthra was slain a coupla weeks ago, but alas...

IT IS ALIVE!!!

[hosepipe]

Murtha is a democrat.. How honest or smart or patriotic can he be.?.. The entire party is treasonous beyond belief.. To think he does not know that is simply ludicrous..

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[sr4402]

Hey, let's have a vote on it. The U.S Army is Broken, Worn out. Let's vote on it so I can vote against my own suggestion once again.

/Sarcasm off

[Republican Wildcat]

[Republican Wildcat]

You know what - that's exactly what the House GOP should do. Present a sense of the House resolution quoting Murtha and call for a vote.

[Fruitbat]

Murtha's a hell of a lot more worn out and broken than the military.